1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a charcoal starter for use in igniting charcoal briquets burned in a barbecue grill and more particularly to a charcoal starter that is efficiently operable to ignite charcoal briquets in a barbecue grill without the aid of starter fluid and is efficiently arranged as a unitary assembly during storage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus for igniting charcoal in a conventional barbecue grill for use in outdoor cooking is well known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,116,704 and 3,167,040 disclose charcoal starters that include a tapered tubular housing having a plurality of air intake apertures provided at the lower portion thereof and adapted to rest upon the pan of a conventional charcoal barbecue grill. A grate comprising a plurality of parallel supporting rods extending through openings in the wall of the tubular housing is arranged to partition the tubular housing into a first portion for receiving ignitable material positioned below the grate and a second upper portion for supporting the charcoal briquets to be ignited on the grate. The combustion of the ignitable material when ignited by a match creates an intense heat below the charcoal briquets supported on the grate. The combustion of the charcoal briquets is aided by the draft of air flowing through the apertures in the tubular housing and upward through the grate and out of the open upper end portion of the tubular housing. After the charcoal briquets have become ignited the grate is disengaged from connection with the tubular housing allowing the burning charcoal briquets to be deposited within the pan of the charcoal grill.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,167,040 illustrates a handle that is pivotally secured to the upper end portion of the tubular housing and has a lower end portion that is releasably engageable with the grate within the tubular housing. When the charcoal briquets have become ignited the handle is released from engagement with the grate to permit the grate to fall free at one end portion within the tubular housing so that the ignited charcoal briquets will fall into the pan of the charcoal grill. Further, the handle is operable to lift the tubular housing having the grill connected thereto away from the pan of the charcoal grill.
A combination grate and chimney for igniting charcoal briquets in a conventional charcoal grill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,296,984. The triangular grate composed of a grid of longitudinal wires supports the chimney, and the area above the grate within the chimney is filled with charcoal briquets. A combustible material is placed below the grate, and burning the combustible material ignites the briquets within the chimney which provides updraft through the mass of briquets on the grate. One the briquets have become ignited removing the chimney from the grate distributes the ignited briquets within the pan of the charcoal grill.
Fuel igniters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,959,473 and 3,453,975 and include a chimney of a selected geometric configuration having a grate positioned within the chimney to partition the chimney into a first section for receiving the fuel such as charcoal briquets to be ignited and a second section positioned below the grate for receiving combustible material that upon ignition produces intense heat that ignites the charcoal briquets. Spaced apart openings provided in the lower portion of the chimney admit air thereto for increasing the rate of combustion. U.S. Pat. No. 3,240,172 discloses a charcoal briquet starter having an open-ended cylindrical body with a handle secured thereto and provided with vent holes around the lower end portion of the body. The vent holes provide a draft that promotes the ignition of charcoal within the interior of the cylindrical body. When the briquets have been ignited lifting the cylindrical body by the handle permits the hot briquets to be spaced out in the barbecue grill.
There is need for an apparatus for starting combustion of charcoal briquets in a conventional barbecue grill which efficiently and safely ignites the charcoal briquets without the aid of a liquid starter fuel and is further operable to disperse the ignited charcoal briquets within the charcoal grill and is conveniently stored after use. While it has been suggested to provide a chimney of a tubular configuration having a grate positioned therein for supporting the charcoal to be ignited above the ignitable material, the prior art devices require dispersing of the ignited charcoal briquets in the barbecue grill by either lifting the chimney by a handle that is integral with the chimney and exposed to the intense heat of both the ignited charcoal and the ignitable material or by manipulating the heated grate to disconnect it from the chimney so that the ignited charcoal falls upon the pan of the charcoal grill.